Electric egg baker



Jan. 25, 1949. J. R. GOMERSALL 2,459,933

ELECTRIC EGG BAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May s, 1943 v IN VEN TOR. dZH/v R Go/vmsA A:

ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1943 V. 4 0 K 0 r a T 0 m V 3 m 3 4 Q J l 0 J 7 22 0 00090000000 H 00000 000000000 00 W 0000o0 \0 Q 00000 a JOHN R. GOMERSALL BY ATTORNEY 1949- J. R. GOMERSALL ELECTRICEGG BAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 3, 1943 O O O 9 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1949. J. R. GOMER SALL 2,459,933 ELECTRIC EGG BAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 5, 1943 IN VEN TOR. Joy/v Ff. G o/vmsu 4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 25, 1949 2,459,933 ELECTRIC EGG BAKER John R. Gomersall, Elgin, Graw Electric Company,

tion of Delaware Ill., assignor to Me- Elgin, 111., a corpora- Application May 3, 1943, Serial No. 485,529 1 Claim. (Cl. 99-427) My invention relates to electric cooking devices and particularly to electric egg bakers.

Among the objects of my invention are the following:

To provide a device for cooking eggs without the use of water; to provide an egg cooker or baker comprising a. temperature limiting means; to provide an egg baker having an adjustable timing means operatively associated therewith; to provide a relatively simple means for holding the eggs while they are being cooked or baked.

Other objects of my invention will either be apparent from a description of a form of device embodying my invention now used by me or they will be pointed out during the course of such description and particularly set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my new and improved egg baker,

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view'thereof,

Fig. 3 is a view-in end elevation thereof,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 5 and on a larger scale than is used in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 4, the scale being slightly larger than that used in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device as shown in Fig. '7,

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is a side view of my improved egg holder as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings,

Fig. 9 is a front view of the egg holder,

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view and,

Fig. 11 is a diagram of the electric circuits for the egg baker.

I provide a substantially closed outer casing for my improved device comprising a. rear wall II, a front wall I3 and side walls l5 and I1 respectively. It may be here pointed out that the front and the rear walls l3 and .II are unitary with a top wall IS, the top wall being provided with a pair of openings 2| therein to permit of inserting the eggs within the casing and of removing them therefrom.

I provide also a bottom wall 23 which may have a pair of openings 25 therein registering vertically with the openings 2| and it is to be noted that the openings 25 are normally closed by a cup-shaped closure member 21.

I provide further a bottom frame 29 which may be made of either metal or of a plastic material as may be desired. I prefer to use some cold pressed plastic composition which preferably has heat-insulating characteristics so as to make it possible to do the cooking or baking of eggs in the device on the ordinary breakfast table.

I provide a pair of knobs 3| at the two side walls l5 and ll of the device to permit of carrying the egg baker.

I have elected to show my improved device as being designed and constructed for simultaneously baking two eggs if desired and I have therefore shown two cylindrically tubular members 33 which have a relatively large number of perforations 35 therein. The two tubular members 33 may be held at their upper ends by in or downturned flanges, these flanges being a part of top member I9, while the lower edge portions thereof may be held in proper operative positions by the heads of small clamping rivets 39 which may be used to hold the closure 21 in proper operative position relative to the base plate 23.

I provide an electric heating element 4| for each of the two tubular members 33 and I have obtained good results in the use of my device when the resistor wire comprising the heating element 4| was wound in the shape of a long spiral coil, of small diameter, which coil was supported on refractory electric-insulating members 43 secured to the tubular members 33 as by suitable machine screws 45. Reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings will show that the heating elements 4| extend to substantially the bottom edge of tubular members 33 and to almost the upper end of tubular members 33 and that the distribution around the tubular members, in a, horizontal plane, is such that the temperature around the periphery of the tubular members 33 will be substantially uniform.

Reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings will show also that the tubular members 33 are initially partly open or are incomplete in a horizontal plane, and that they are secured together by a vertically-extending metal plate 41 which has a vertical central slot 49 therein for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

A plurality of contact terminals 5| are provided at the front side of the two tubular members 33, mounted on small plates 53 of electric-insulating material which latter plates may be suitably secured in any desired manner on or against the upper face of base plate 23. I provide a rear plate 54 of electric-insulating material having thereon a plurality of terminal members 55, 56, 51 and 59 (see Fig. 4) to permit of energizing the heating elements through a twin conductor cord BI all as now well known in the art.

Means for holding two eggs in the tubular members 33 comprises a pair of annular members 63, each having a plurality of enlarged annular members 65, three in number, thereon and each of the members 63 has a lug or projection-61 thereon extending toward each other to permit of supporting the two annular or ring-like members 63 from a pair of vertically extending bars 59, the upper-ends of which are suitably fixedly secured to a handle bar 1| This handle is of substantially L-shape and has a heat-insulating member 13 secured thereto. The lugs 61 may be integral with each other and as has already been stated are secured to the two spaced bars 69 at the lower ends thereof so as to permit of moving the egg holding members 63 to substantially the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be noted that that part of the extension 81 located between the bars 59 will enter the slot 49 to limit the downward movement of the egg holder comprising members 63, 65, 61, 69, 1| and 13, to such position that the egg or eggs will be supported at substantially the middle or central Portion of one or of each of the tubular members 33. The lower end portion of handle strip 1|, namely that part secured to the upper end portions of bar 69 will also enter the slot 49 and will hold the egg supports in desired proper operative positions as has already been hereinbefore stated.

I have found it desirable to provide a heating means for my improved egg baker the wattage of which is not too high, since I have found that an operating temperature within the perforatedtubular members 33 on the order of 400 Fahrenheit will permit of cooking. or baking an egg or eggs to any desired degree from the ordinary soft to hard," while meeting the desired condition of substantial uniformity of baking of the g- In order to limit the temperature I provide: a bi-metal bar 15 which bar is fixedly secured to a lug or projection 11 which lug may 'be held against one of the tubular members 33 by a machine screw 19 (see Fig. 5). A pair of contact arms BI and 83 are insulatedly supported by lug 11 and are so designed and constructed that contact arm 8| is a resilient arm having a contact member thereon normally in engagement with a cooperating contact member on relatively rigid arm 83. Resilient contact arm III has mounted thereon an adjustable stop 85 having at its inner end a small lug 81 of electric-insulating material adapted to be engaged by the free end of bimetal bar 15 which is adapted to move toward lug 81 and away from the tubular member 33, when heated, this movement of bi-meta1 bar and its engagement with lug 8! will cause contact arm 8| to be moved out of engagement with contact member on arm 83 thus interrupting the energizing circuit of the heating element 4|, which circuit is again established on the cooling of bimetal bar I5.

I have found that an egg can be baked to the usual hard condition in about twelve minutes when the temperature The bi-metal bar 89 has operatively associated therewith and insulatedly mounted thereon a small resistor coil and heater 91.

The free end of the bi-metal bar 89 is adapted to flex or move upwardly when heated and has mounted thereon a laterally extending lug 99 which lug is adapted to extend into an opening IOI provided adjacent to the lower end of a vertically movable bar I03. The upper end of bar I03 has an extended slot I05 therein through which extends a headed fixedly held adjacent I09. Plate I09 may screws 95.

The lower end of bar I03 may beguided by a slot provided for such purpose in a forwardly extending flange portion I I I of plate I09, a well as a registering slot in a plate I I2.

I provide a normally closed switch for controlling the energization of the heater 9'! and this switch comprises a relatively rigid contact arm H3 and a resilient contact arm II5 these two arms being insulatedly mounted on a substantially vertically extending member II1, which may be a part of plate 93.

The contact arm H5 is normally biased into engagement with arm H3 and has fixedly secured thereto at its outer end a lug II9 of electric-insulating material. An arm I2I is pivotally mounted as by :a pin I23 on plate I09 and has a recess I25 at its outer or left hand end within which end projects the electric insulating lug II9. An over center spring I 21 has one end connected to a pin on bar I 03 while its other end is connected to a pin on the left hand end portion of switch-actuating arm I2I. The operative position of bar I03 when it has been moved upwardly by heating and consequent flexing of bi-metal bar 89 is shown in Fig. 7 by the broken lines of these respective parts, the pin on bar I03 having connected .therewith the right hand end of spring I21 then having been moved vertically upwardly to a position above the fixed pivot pin I23 with the result that arm I2I will be moved to the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. -7 of the drawings and against a small stop lug I29 which may be a part of plate I09. This movement allows the lower wall of slot I25 in the outer end of arm I to engage lug II 9 on contact arm H5 and to lift this arm II5 upward to cause a quick break of contact arm II5 from contact arm II3.

Since the lug 99 on bi-metal bar 89 is extended into opening IOI in bar I03, upon cooling of the bi-metal bar 89 attendant upon breaking the engagement between contact arm I I5 arm II3 as has hereinbefore been described, bimetal bar 89 upon cooling will move bar I03 downwardly until the contact arm actuated bar I2I will have been moved again to substantially the position shown by the full lines of Fig. 7 whereupon the circuit of heating element 91 will again be closed with consequent heating and upward flexing of bi-metal bar 89, as has hereinbefore been described. I

A main switch for controlling the energization to the upper end of a plate also be held by the machine obtained In the tubularv pin I01 which pin is and contact of the resistor or heating elements 4I includes a relatively rigid contact arm I30 and a resilient contact arm I3I which are insulatedly secured to a lug I33 which may be a part of plate I09. Resilient contact arm I3I has mounted on its free end a lug I34, of electric insulating material, which latter is adapted to be engaged by the right hand end of a ratchet bar I35, when the ratchet bar hasbeen moved to its extreme right hand position substantially as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. Ratchet bar I35 is provided with two elongated slots I31 and I39 which are adapted to have extend therethrough two support and guide pins I and I43. These two pins are individually supported by upstanding lugs I45 and I41 which may be integral with plate II2.

Ratchet bar I35 is adapted to be yieldingly left hand direction (as seen in Fig. '1) by a spring I49 which has its left hand end connected to a pin secured in extension 1.

A double arm pawl II is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin I53 which pivot pin is fixedly supported by plate I09. The right hand end portion of the double arm pawl I5I is held in engagement in one of a plurality of ratchet teeth recesses by a small spring I55. The left hand arm of pawl I5I has a pin I51 extending laterally thereof for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Means for causing step-by-step movement of ratchet bar I35 in a right hand direction includes a second pawl I59 pivotally mounted on an arm I6I which arm extends in a substantially vertical position and has its lower end pivotally mounted on a pin I63 (see Fig. 5). Bar I03 is provided with a slot I65 therein which has two angularly related portions as will be noted by reference to Fig. '1 of the drawings. A pin I61 fixed at the left hand end of pawl I59 fits in slot I65 so that when bar I03 is moved vertically upwardly the pawl I59 is first caused to turn in a clockwise direction to have its right hand end engage one ofthe recesses of ratchet bar I35 and thereafter to cause movement, in a right hand direction, of ratchet bar I35 and it will be noted that the right hand end of pawl I5I will prevent immediate returning movement of the ratchet bar I35.

Means for permitting of adjusting the starting position of ratchet bar I35 includes a rack bar I68 which is adjustable by means of a pinion I69 which may be mounted on pin or stub shaft I43. -Reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings will show that pin or stub shaft I43 is rotatably supported by plates I09 and I41 and further that an adjusting knob I1I may be fixedly secured to the front end portion of pin I43 and have its front end portion positioned outside of the casing, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 2, 5 and 6. e

The rack bar I69 is' provided with a small stop lug I13 which fits in an elongated slot I15 provided in the bottom edge of ratchet bar I35. It is evident that turning movement of knob I1I will result in first turning movement of pinion I69 which meshes with the teeth on rack bar I68 to move the stop lug I13 to a predetermined position so that lug I13 will be positioned substantially in accordance with the time required by the timing means to move the ratchet bar I35 from its starting position, where the right hand end wall of recess I15 was in engagement with lug I13, step-by-step toward the right until it is moved into its final position as shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings with attendant disengagement of contact arms I3I and I39. It will be noted that interruption of the energizing circuit for. the heating coils 4I also caused deenergization of the resistor or heating coil 91 for bi-metal bar 99 of the timingmeans.

In order to start operation of the heater I provide an arm I11 fixedly mounted on pin I which pin has an actuating knob I19 secured thereto outside of the casing. to engage pin I51, when knob I19 is turned in a clockwise direction, with the result that the right hand pointed end of pawl I5I is disengaged from one of the ratchet teeth of ratchet bar I35 with the result that spring I49 will move the ratchet bar I35 in a left hand direction (as seen in Fig. '1). It is evident that if the rack bar I68 has been moved toward the left, spring I49 will cause movement of the ratchet bar I35 in a left hand direction so that it will require a longer time to cause sufficient movement of the ratchet bar I35 by the thermal timing means before the energizing circuit of the main end of the timer heater will be finally opened. When the device embodying my invention has been used it is preferably left without any turning movement of knob in a clockwise direction so that it is possible to plug in the twin conductor cord 6i without immediate energization of the heating elements H and of the heating resistor 91.

In order to show the operative condition of the egg baker I may provide a lamp bulb I8I which is connected in parallel with the main heating resistors 4i and which may be seen through an opening I83 which may have a transparent plate I to close it all in a manner now well known in the art.

It is obvious that the device embodying my invention provides an electrically heated means for dry cooking an egg or to bake the same. I have found it highly desirable to provide the small annular members 65 On the rings 63 in order to limit the area of the points of support of an egg to thereby insure substantially uniform cooking or baking of an egg in my improved device.

I have found further that the numerous perforations 35 in the tubular members 33 are ef-- fective in insuring substantially uniform cooking or'baking of eggs cooked or baked in my device.

My improved device provides means for insuring that the maximum operating temperature provided by the electric heating means 4I shall be substantially the same irrespective of the voltage of the supply circuit to which the main heating elements may be connected so that once a scale I81 has been provided for timer adjusting knob I1I, substantially the same amount of time will be required irrespective of the voltage of the energizing circuit. In order to point out the range of voltage which can be used to energize the heating elements of a device designed and constructed as hereinbefore described and embodying my invention 1 may mention that the supply circuit voltages while normally being on the order of volts may be as high as volts or as low as 100 volts. I have found that substantially the same degree of cooking for any given operating time of the hereinbefore described thermal timer, will be obtained.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and all such modifications as are included by the appended ArmI11 is adapted claim are to be considered as being covered thereby.

I claim as my invention: 1

An egg baker comprising a casing having a pair of top openings, a pair of vertical-walled adjacent cooking chambers of a diameter slightly larger than egg diameter underlying the pairv of top openings and separated by a vertical partition, a vertical slot of shorter length than the partition extending downwardly from the upper end of the partition, a bifurcated member having closely spaced opposite arms projecting downwardly into the respective chambers on opposite sides of the partition and having a bridging portion adapted to be removably supported in the slot in the partition, and egg holders secured to the respective arms of the bifurcated member, and removably supported thereby in the respective chambers spaced from and concentric with the walls of the respective chambers.

JOHN R. GOMERSALL.

3 REFERENCES cn'En The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

